These books are not part of my personal collection; however, I have had the opportunity to borrow them from my local library and review them briefly. I highly recommend conducting your own due diligence to ensure they align with your Persian cooking goals.
Highly Recommended: brand new copies are competitively priced and used, second-hand copies are easily available. Good balance of information on Persian culture and cuisine. Relatively budget-friendly on food ingredient(s). Contain recipes of popular menu items served at Persian restaurants.
- Heller, Leila Taghinia-Milani, Lila Charif, Laya Khadjavi, and Bahar Tavakolian. Persian Feasts: Recipes & Stories from a Family Table. London: Phaidon Press, 2024.
- Deravian, Naz. Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories. United States: Flatiron Books, 2018.
Not Recommended: I personally find "memoir-style" cookbooks with excessive personal anecdotes—"too much talk"—abhorrent, unless the recipes and cooking techniques justify the cost. While these books may introduce you to Persian cooking, the previously recommended ones excel in writing, style, and balance. The recipes in the following books are overly simplified, often diluting flavors to cater to a broader audience unaccustomed to bold spice profiles, or recipes are mere templates or sparse versions.
In my opinion, these books are unnecessary when you have the works of Najmieh Batmanglij, a true culinary authority on Persian (Iranian) cuisine. Her Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies and Cooking in Iran: Regional Recipes & Kitchen Secrets are invaluable and comprehensive resources, and many of these lesser books reference her works in their bibliographies.
- Bundy, Ariana. Pomegranates and Roses: My Persian Family Recipes. United Kingdom: Paisley Media Limited, 2018.
- Khan, Yasmin. The Saffron Tales: Recipes from the Persian Kitchen. United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016.
- Allahyari, Hamed, Dani Valent. Salamati: Hamed's Persian Kitchen—Recipes and Stories from Iran to the Other Side of the World. Australia: Allen & Unwin, 2022.
- Setareh, Saghar. Pomegranates & Artichokes: Recipes and Memories of a Journey from Iran to Italy. Australia: Murdoch Books Pty Limited, 2023.
- Shaida, Margaret. The Legendary Cuisine of Persia. United Kingdom: Grub Street Publishing, 2018.
- Shafia, Louisa. The New Persian Kitchen: [A Cookbook]. United States: Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed, 2013.
- Duguid, Naomi. Taste of Persia: A Cook's Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Kurdistan. United States: Artisan, 2016.
